I still don't understand the cycling thing....

[Picasso]

So, you set up the tank and wait for numbers to move? My numbers have stayed very similar since I set up my tank on November 1st. What is supposed to happen? My daughter set up her 14 gallon biocube one week ago. She used aged saltwater (bought from LFS) live sand and some awesome looking reef fossils. Today, we are expecting a delivery of GARF grunge and reef janitors. What are we supposed to look for and how are we supposed to measure it? My tank is still blooming the browns and I'm so SICK of this! My numbers are right on, I do water changes bi-weekly and feed my 3 fishes very sparingly. Is this algae experience the "cycle"? Once the browns, hairs and slimes are done then you've cycled? I don't get it. Thanks.

Catherine

 

[daugherty]

the cycle that everybody talks about is the nitrogen this is ammonia nitrite and nitrate. after they are zero except for nitrate which it almost never 0 the tank is cycled. now the algae cycle starts as diatoms, cyan, hair and possibly some others it can take a year or more to battle the algae. i hope that is what you are wanting to know

 

[daugherty]

your tank prob never cycled since you used good cured rock

 

[dustin_P74]

the cycling process usually occurs in tanks with uncured live rock which you nor your daughter seem to have so its very possible that a cycle wont happen

 

[Altohombre]

if you add LR from a website or something even though it is only in a box for maybe a 2 days it will have die off. This die off or the addition of a live sand that isn't totally live anymore from being on a shelf, will cause your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates to spike for a while until the bad stuff is either skimmed out or the bacteria forms so that it fights off the bad stuff and your water becomes good to go!

putting live things in a cycling tank would be like us living next to or in a sewer.

 

[yote]

+1 everybody.
Of all the tanks I've helped set up the LFS,We've never had one cycle that we know of.With good live sand and good cured live rock,the bacteria is already in place to take care of any ammonia and nitrites that are produced.So you wont see a cycle.
Now if you set up with dry sand,some lace rock,and mail order live rock,you'll see the cycle.The ammonia will usually shoot off the chart.
The algae stages are just that.Stages where you'll get algae and certian nutrients build up.Phosphates and nitrates are the ones that cause us these troubles.Silicates cause the ones your seeing now,the diatoms.But you'll eventually get hair algae then cyano.Sometimes both at once.

 

[Picasso]

.But you'll eventually get hair algae then cyano.Sometimes both at once.

Can't wait!

Thanks for explaining. Always wondered about that.

Catherine